Sump Questions for a Nano Cube 28

[duoc9119]

So I've got a pretty straight forward sump idea for a Nano Cube. Here are just some ideas:

I plan on getting the Proflex Model 1 sump, and run it as a refugium. I don't want to try to build a sump, because I have no experience building one from scratch and would like to experience how a commercial grade sump works before attempting to build one.

Second, I plan on taking out the false wall and drilling 3 holes. One on either side and one in the center for the overflow. Now, here's the interesting part... I am going to order the 700 overflow from Glass-Holes. After a few email exchanges, I was told that I could get their 700 overflow with a toothless design.

Now onto the questions..

What I want to know is if I should go with the dual returns to keep the 28 Nano, by means of a single Mag5 or 7. I went through the headloss calculator with 5 feet of vertical, 2 feet of horizontal (an guess since the returns are on either side of the tank and are coming from a far side of the sump), 3 90 degree elbows, 2 ball valves, and 2 exit points.. with the Mag5, at 1 inch tubing, I would get around 233 gph. The Mag7 with .75 inch tubing I would get around 351 gph.

I am not too sure which pump I should go with as the Mag5 doesn't sound like enough flow, while the Mag7 looks like a lot of flow. I will be adding a Korilla K1 powerhead into the display. So that looks like there will be a lot of flow. So which pump do you all recommend?

Back to the actual question.. Would having 2 returns, driven by one Mag5/7, be too much for a 28? As of now there's just a rescue (not my decision) yellow tang and rocks. Planning on making this a pretty hard core reef. Just want to get the filtration running and then upgrade to NanoTuners 4.6 Led.

Anyone have ideas on how I should do the returns? Any thoughts and ideas are appreciated.

 

[duoc9119]

No one has ideas?

 

[Zer0]

Well, believe it or not, making your own sump really isn't all that difficult, at all. You just need a couple pieces of acrylic, which are cheap as ****, and some aquarium grade silicone.

I had no clue what i was doing when i built my first refugium out of a 10G AGA tank, but it came out great and worked flawlessly. Also.. there's a huge price difference. Buy a pre-made/custom sump and pay +$100. Build your own and you save a lot of money. If your interested, you can get acrylic online here for super cheap. Already ordered twice. Amazing service. TAP Plastics

Anyways, the rest of your plan sounds solid though, i would go with the Mag7. Also, do you have any means to cutting teeth in to that overflow box? I bought their toothless model a little while back and it was a complete horror story trying to cut out teeth in that junk. Took me about an hour, and a couple dremel bits later and i had some funky looking overflow teeth. So i had to buy another one. Second time around it came out alright, but you just can't beat machine cut teeth like they do it as glass-holes. I would suggest you get the box with the teeth.

Hope this helps.

 

[duoc9119]

Well, believe it or not, making your own sump really isn't all that difficult, at all. You just need a couple pieces of acrylic, which are cheap as ****, and some aquarium grade silicone.

I had no clue what i was doing when i built my first refugium out of a 10G AGA tank, but it came out great and worked flawlessly. Also.. there's a huge price difference. Buy a pre-made/custom sump and pay +$100. Build your own and you save a lot of money. If your interested, you can get acrylic online here for super cheap. Already ordered twice. Amazing service. TAP Plastics

Anyways, the rest of your plan sounds solid though, i would go with the Mag7. Also, do you have any means to cutting teeth in to that overflow box? I bought their toothless model a little while back and it was a complete horror story trying to cut out teeth in that junk. Took me about an hour, and a couple dremel bits later and i had some funky looking overflow teeth. So i had to buy another one. Second time around it came out alright, but you just can't beat machine cut teeth like they do it as glass-holes. I would suggest you get the box with the teeth.

Hope this helps.

They're 700 model comes with teeth, but I asked if I could get one without teeth. I like the look of toothless much better, keeps the water line out of sight, and has better surface skimming IMO.

Would running dual return lines from the Mag7 be alright? that's about 180gph coming from both corners simultaneously and add the Korilla K1. I'm just not sure if I should go with one return or two return outlets.

 

[Zer0]

Don't know much about the flow part, but i think it would be fine.

If you like it toothless then that's fine. I think toothless and teeth have pretty similar surface skimming qualities, but that's just me. You going to put eggcrate on the top or something to keep the critters and fish from getting sucked in to your drain line?

 

[duoc9119]

I heard that was a problem and thought of a way to solve it without using eggcrate or something that can still get things caught in the overflow. I was planning on placing a pane of glass or something along that back wall connecting the back glass and the plastic piece that holds the hood. Just because I will be taking out the false wall and that filter area would be uncovered. The piece of glass would be just above the overflow box keeping anything bigger than 1/4" out of the box

 

[Zer0]

Yeap. I've seen it done before. It will work. Just make sure you don't have anything like a small fish in your tank. Like a tiny yellow clown goby.

 

[duoc9119]

Yeah not going tiny gobies or anything. As of now there will be that rescue yellow tang I got from a friends torn down tank, was not my original plans for this tank..